Security measures have been heightened in Panchkula, Haryana ahead of the quantum of punishment against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.

Panchkula: Citing security concerns, state government and Haryana police have announced that Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh will be produced before a special CBI court via video-conferencing tomorrow. During the course of the hearing scheduled for Thursday, a judge will announce the quantum of punishment for the Dera chief and three of his accomplices who have been convicted for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.

Currently serving a 20-year sentence at Haryana's Sunaria prison for the rape of two of his female disciples, Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was the prime accused in the murder of the slain scribe who was shot dead outside his home in Sirsa on October 24, 2002. In its chargesheet, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) asserted that the men who shot Chhatrapati, Nirmal Singh and Kuldeep Singh, were carpenters associated with the religious sect led by the main accused. The gun used to shoot the journalist belonged to one Krishan Lal who has also been arrested along with the two shooters following the verdict.

(Convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh)

A special CBI court on January 11 convicted all four involved with Chhatrapati's murder including the self-styled godman who was produced before the judge via video-conferencing. Haryana police and the state government had argued that presenting Gurmeet Ram Rahim before the court in person could pose a 'law and order' situation as witnessed in August of 2017 when he was convicted on charges of rape. Scores of his followers had wreaked havoc across the town of Panchkula in the wake of the verdict.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was present at the time Nirmal Singh and Kuldeep Singh were ordered to use Krishna Lal's gun to murder Ram Chander Chhatrapati, said the CBI in its chargesheet against the self-styled godman. The editor of regional evening daily, Poora Sach, Chhatrapati had published an anonymous letter by a sadhvi highlighting the plight of women at Dera Sacha Sauda. The Punjab and Haryana High Court took note of the letter and launched an investigation into the matter a month before Chhatrapati was shot dead at point-blank range right outside his residence.

(Security personnel deployed outside the Panchkula divisional court)

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